The present invention relates in general to containers used for cooking food in an oven, and, more particularly, to a cooking apparatus container, and, a process for filling and cooking food therewithin, wherein it is preferable that the food intended to be cooked be agitated during the cooking process so as to enhance cooking uniformity and cooking quality.
Containers for cooking food in an oven, whether it be a conventional oven or a microwave oven, have been known in the art for many years. Indeed, many of such containers have incorporated a food containment region which not only serves to house the food to be cooked during the cooking process, but which is also capable of expansion as the result of internal pressure built up therewithin during extended exposure of heat generated from the oven, and, in turn from the heat generated from the food being cooked within the food containment region. Furthermore, it is also known in the art that such containers can be constructed with gusseted side panels which further increase the expandable area of the cooking container, and more particularly, the food containment region, during cooking. An example of such prior art can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,045, to Brandberg et al., for a Popcorn Package For Microwave Popping--wherein a bag having gusseted sides expands during the cooking process. Other prior art containers include the following U.S. Patents: Bohrer, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,553,010, and 4,678,882; Watkins et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,513 and 4,878,765; Gades, U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,280; and, Katz U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,574.
Few, if any prior art containers provide container positioning means to enable temporary positioning of the cooking container in a first vertically supported orientation within the oven during the beginning stages of the cooking process. Furthermore, few, if any, of such prior art devices additionally disclose any ability for the controlled transition of the cooking container from its first vertically supported orientation to a second fallen orientation, wherein such falling results after a predetermined period of exposure of the container positioning means to the heat generated from the oven during cooking food, prior to completion of the cooking process, wherein such falling causes agitation of the food to be cooked within the food containment region for purposes of enhancing cooking uniformity and cooking quality.
Additionally, while the prior art does disclose gusseted side panels, such side panels are specifically intended for unrestricted expansion during the cooking process. Accordingly, the prior art teaches away from temporarily hindering expansion of the gusseted side panels during the initial stages of the cooking process until only after the cooking container has fallen from its first vertically supported orientation to its second fallen orientation, wherein such hindrance is overcome prior to completion of the cooking process.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus which can be temporarily maintained in a first vertically supported orientation upon insertion of the apparatus into an oven, wherein such vertical support will be maintained until a predetermined amount of exposure of heat generated from the oven has occurred, and accordingly, only after partial cooking of the food and/or heating of any container support means.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus which will fall from gravity from its first vertically supported orientation to a second fallen orientation only after food within the food containment region has been partially cooked a predetermined amount and/or until alteration of any container support means, and, wherein the gravitational fall causes agitation to the cooking food--for purposes of enhancing overall cooking uniformity and quality.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus which has releasable pinched gusseted regions which temporarily hinder expansion of the gusseted side panels during initial cooking of the food within the food containment region so as to facilitate the transition of the cooking container from its first vertically supported orientation toward and into a second fallen orientation, and, wherein full release of the pinched portion does not occur until after the cooking container has fallen--prior to completion of the cooking process.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus which can cook various types of food which are intended to expand during the cooking process, as well as food that does not expand.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification and drawings.